When it comes to celebrity chefs, Gordon Ramsay might have a reputation as one of the toughest to work with. Five minutes into any one of his shows, and you know he holds everyone to his own incredibly high standards, and there’s really nothing wrong with that, is there? Those standards have made him a world-famous chef, and it’s not an exaggeration to call his restaurants, television shows, cookbooks, and other ventures an empire.
One of our favorite things about Ramsay is that he has a slew of brilliant cooking tips for beginners, and he’s famous for giving advice that we can all honestly use. Take the one dish that Gordon Ramsay would never order at a restaurant. That’s the soup of the day, and it makes sense: Soup is a great way to use leftovers. The more you know!
But let’s talk about those cooking tips. Ramsay has published an almost shocking number of cookbooks, and they’re not all created equal. We wanted to take a look at not only which of his cookbooks are widely available, but which ones you should pick up if you’re interested in getting some tips from one of the world’s best. After starting with some personal experience (and our own personal favorites), we took a look at what other customers had to say, along with what people were recommending on social media sites like Reddit. While you’re not going to go wrong with any of them, there are some clear favorites.
10. Gordon Ramsay’s Great British Pub Food
Contrary to popular belief, British cuisine can be absolutely delicious. From quintessentially British summer food traditions to some deliciously classic steak dishes from across the entirety of the U.K., it’s not to be underestimated. British pub food is practically an art form, and that’s where “Gordon Ramsay’s Great British Pub Food” comes in — and we were surprised to find that it comes in at the bottom of our ranking. Ramsay offers up recipes for incredible — and incredibly straightforward — things like homemade pork scratchings, pork pies, homemade crisps, and elevated classics. His sausage rolls are made with wild boar and his pickled eggs are quail, for example, and it seems like it’s a nice mix of classy and classic.
Customers have a few complaints about this one, and for many, it seems to overshadow delicious, easy-to-follow recipes. For starters, some complain that if you’re in the U.S., you’ll have to do conversions from the metric system. Others report that depending on where you live, you just might not be able to find some of the more obscure, traditional British ingredients.
Another big criticism comes from those who bought the digital version and found that no photos were included. The book came out in 2009, which might have something to do with complaints about poor formatting and a lack of a Ramsay-esque voice that you might expect from a cookbook. And honestly, that’s a huge part of the reason we love Ramsay in the first place.
9. Gordon Ramsay’s Healthy Appetite: Recipes from the F Word
Gordon Ramsay’s “The F Word” aired from 2005 to 2010, and featured everyone from Ramsay’s fellow chefs to British television staples like Jonathan Ross and celebrities like Sharon Osbourne. Needless to say, it was a pretty wild ride. “Gordon Ramsay’s Healthy Appetite: Recipes from The F Word” came out in 2009, and as the title suggests, it includes 125 recipes with an eye toward healthy dishes and fresh ingredients.
On one hand, there are plenty of customer reviews suggesting that this book is full of great ideas — and are particularly happy with the fact that Ramsay gets into a variety of different cooking methods like poaching and steaming. Unfortunately, there are a lot of complaints, starting with the fact that Americans might find some of the ingredients difficult to source. Others say that there are a lot of recipes that are more suited to a British palate. Duck and pigeon dishes are among those that get called out, and that’s legit — especially considering that even if you do find some of these ingredients, you can count on them being expensive.
There are also a surprising number of complaints about the physical condition of the book itself. Customers have shared pictures of books with broken bindings, glue that comes apart after a few uses, and pages that are falling out. A good cookbook has to be able to take a beating in the kitchen, and people are strangely unhappy with this one.
8. Gordon Ramsay’s Great Escape
“Gordon’s Great Escape” saw Gordon Ramsay heading to Southeast Asia on a culinary journey so incredibly flavorful that it was enough to make even the most casual viewer wish that Smell-O-Vision was a thing, and “Gordon Ramsay’s Great Escape” was the cookbook that was issued to accompany the series. The good news is that there are a lot of easy-to-follow recipes, and Ramsay has something of a personal stake in this: One of his favorites dishes is, of course, curry.
The problem with this one, customers suggest, is complicated. On one hand, it’s called out for being too simple and straightforward for those who really love and are familiar with Indian cuisine, while at the same time, it’s called not nearly in-depth enough for those who are looking to learn the basics. Some say the focus is wrong — they’d love more meat, fish, and main courses, with less bread, condiments, and accompaniments — but there are also who say that it’s a great, middle-of-the-road introduction to Indian cuisine.
Also on the plus side, Ramsay includes a glossary that explains spices, ingredients, and cooking methods that might be unfamiliar to someone who’s just learning about Indian cuisine, which is hugely helpful. All in all, it’s a solid if not overwhelming option.
7. Gordon Ramsay Ultimate Fit Food and Healthy, Lean & Fit
Fans of Gordon Ramsay know that in addition to his restaurant and hospitality empire, he also somehow finds time to train for, run, and complete ultramarathons up to and including the grueling Ironman races. Does he somehow have more hours in the day than the rest of us? A secret identical twin, perhaps? We’re going to say that he must. In 2018, he published “Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Fit Food” and “Gordon Ramsay’s Healthy, Lean & Fit,” which are basically cookbooks broken down by goals. There’s some for weight management, some for strength training, and others that are designed to give you ideas about delicious things to eat that will help you get the most out of workouts.
For many customers, these very similar books hit the mark with some seriously delicious recipes and in-depth explanations as to why, exactly, they were chosen to be included in a fitness-centric cookbook. Also on the plus side is the fact that many of the recipes are easy to swap out proteins in, or even make vegan.
Now, the complaints. Like many of Ramsay’s cookbooks, there are some difficulties in finding some of the ingredients. They’re also said to be a little more on the expensive side, and you can also expect to find some time-consuming recipes here. Interestingly, there are also complaints that go to the other side of things, lambasted for being too simplistic, too straightforward, and too run-of-the-mill to be included in a cookbook.
6. Gordon Ramsay Quick and Delicious
It’s no secret that one of the biggest challenges to making dinners that are worthy of professional chefs is time, and that’s where “Gordon Ramsay Quick and Delicious” shines. Every recipe in this cookbook can be made in 30 minutes or less, and if that seems unlikely, he explains in the intro how he does it: He has years of experience perfecting fast dishes that are fresh and can be served to demanding customers really, really quickly. It’s almost shockingly practical, and Ramsay says right upfront that he’s all about cutting corners when those corners don’t sacrifice quality.
Those who have headed to Amazon and Goodreads to review this book largely agree, with many saying that it’s a great way to add variety to your regular meal rotation without feeling overwhelmed. It’s recommended for easy-to-follow recipes, plenty of photos, color-coded sections, and a great way to try something new. (There’s also a handy conversion table that gets lots of love.) There are, however, some criticisms that could be a dealbreaker for some, starting with the fact that many people note that the 30-minute claim isn’t exactly a guarantee.
Some say that the time limit doesn’t seem to take prep work into account, and there’s also some criticism as far as ingredients go, too. Some aren’t kitchen staples and might not be easy to find. Is it worth buying something for a single dish you may or may not like? It may or may not be.
5. Gordon Ramsay’s Fast Food
Fans of Gordon Ramsay know that he has a ton of practical advice for home chefs, from the best ways to cut onions to how to preserve fresh herbs. He also has “Gordon Ramsay’s Fast Food,” a cookbook where recipes take as little as 15 minutes, no more than 30, and whole meals that come together in about 45 minutes. Sounds too good to be true? According to customers, this not only delivers, but recipes are straightforward and simple enough that after you’ve made your favorites a few times, you won’t even need to look at the cookbook anymore.
On the plus side are diverse recipes from varied cuisines, and many are recipes that lend themselves to substitutions. That said, there are a number of ingredients that might not be pantry staples, but they’re not obscure, exotic, or difficult-to-source, either. Fans say that this was the cookbook that opened them up to exploring their favorite grocery store, expanding their pantry and spice cabinet, and experimenting with new flavors. What more can you ask for?
That said, there are some criticisms. Many of the recipes might look complicated — especially the plethora of fish dishes — and it’s not exactly a beginner-level cookbook, in spite of what the short time frame might imply. Depending on where you live, it might be difficult to source some things, and that said, access to fresh fish is a must.
4. Gordon Ramsay Makes It Easy
It’s easy to forget how long Gordon Ramsay has been around. One of his first television credits was back in 1999, and yes, of course it was his own show. His cookbook “Gordon Ramsay Makes It Easy” goes back to 2005, and the fact that it’s still highly reviewed — and includes a DVD — makes it both a great addition to any library of cookbooks, and a fun walk down memory lane.
It stands up as a cookbook, too, and even if it seems like it might be a bit dated at-a-glance, the recipes are timeless, straightforward, and just as delicious today as they were when the book was released. It also avoids one of the common complaints we saw a lot with Ramsay’s lower-ranked books, as it gives measurements in both metric and American units. Instructions are short, easy to follow, and clearly written, ingredients are fairly easy to find, and all in all? This one lives up to the name.
If you’re looking for a great beginner-level Ramsay cookbook, you’re not going to go wrong with this one. That said, some of the less favorable rankings suggest that it’s a little too basic and a little too straightforward. Many of the recipes are found elsewhere and are pretty common, but you can’t have everything, right?
3. Gordon Ramsay’s Chef’s Secrets
Here’s another oldie but a goodie: “Gordon Ramsay’s Chef’s Secrets” came out in 2010, so it might be a little hard to find, you might need to pick up a used copy, and you might have to do some searching from Amazon sellers. Still, those who have found it have also found it incredibly helpful, as the premise isn’t just straightforward recipes, it’s a conversation on how you can take those basic recipes and turn them into something completely new with various ingredient swaps.
This one gets some serious kudos for not just being a straightforward cookbook that’s going to teach you some recipes, but being a resource that teaches about technique and flavor combinations as well, giving lessons that can be used in countless other ways and in countless other places. It’s a recipe book as well as a reference book, and in some ways, isn’t that better than a straightforward, A-to-B sort of set of instructions? If you love collecting all kinds of cooking tips from celebrity chefs, this should probably make it onto your next birthday or holiday wish list.
2. Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Home Cooking
One of the things we love about Gordon Ramsay is that he gives plenty of advice we can use every day. Tend to overcook scrambled eggs? Ramsay has a tip to prevent that: add some crème fraîche. Brilliant, right? This is the kind of advice you can expect from “Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Home Cooking,” a 2013 cookbook that is as relevant and highly-rated today as it was when it came out. More than just the standard breakfast, lunch, and dinner, Ramsay also offers suggestions for salads, “Afternoon Pick-me-ups,” impressive yet attainable dinners to serve when you have a group of friends over, and some deliciously British-inspired desserts that the American palate can appreciate, too. (White chocolate and lime mousse? Espresso panna cotta with cinnamon hazelnut brittle? Yes, please!)
There’s a lot to love about this book: There are straightforward deliciousness, ingredients that you have in your pantry, and some that you may have never used before. There are techniques that might be new but that are presented in an easy-to-understand format, and this is a perfect jumping-off point that wraps Ramsay’s knowledge, experience, and dedication to high-quality foods in a format that’s easy for the rest of us.
Perhaps most importantly, this book avoids one of the pitfalls of some of his other cookbooks. Many report that they found the majority of the ingredients here are easy to find and easy to source in many parts of the U.S., and that’s a huge deal.
1. Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Cookery Course and Home Cooking
When we headed over to Reddit to see what people were saying about Gordon Ramsay’s cookbooks, there were two that were regularly mentioned as the cookbooks to get: “Gordon Ramsay’s Ultimate Cookery Course” and “Gordon Ramsay’s Home Cooking.” The difference? Interestingly, they’re basically the same book, but “Ultimate Cookery” uses metric measurements and terminology, while “Home Cooking” uses American units. Using only metric units was a common complaint we saw with Ramsay’s lower-rated cookbooks, and oddly, this isn’t a new one: The British version was released in 2012, with the American following a year later.
So, what makes this the best? That starts with a wide variety of accessible recipes that are easy to make, easy to understand, yet that are worthy of Ramsay’s name. Instructions are clear and straightforward, but at the same time, they’re curated to make you step just a little outside of a home cook-level comfort zone. Ingredients are widely available, and throughout, Ramsay presents tips, tricks, and explanations that will apply to any number of future dishes.
Many of the thousands of reviews for these particular books say that yes, they’re a great primer, and they’re also a wealth of information and knowledge that experienced chefs can benefit from. It’s rare that a cookbook is a win from start to finish, but for Ramsay fans, this is one of those rare, must-have cookbooks that might just end up being passed down to the next generation of cooks.
Methodology
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Most celebrity chefs have put out a ton of cookbooks, and Gordon Ramsay is no exception. In order to rank them all, we’d have you here all day — so no, we didn’t include them all. We started by finding those that were readily available for purchase (new, used, and in a digital form), and from there, we set about ranking them.
Rankings came about in a few ways, starting with picking through our own bookshelves and starting with our favorites (including a very well-worn copy of “Gordon Ramsay’s Home Cooking”). From there, we headed to Amazon to see what customers had to say about the books they purchased, and how many stars they had. We also browsed a number of social media sites — including Goodreads and Reddit — to see what people were saying there, too. And honestly, we were a little surprised by just how many people were recommending the very same book we’d picked as a frontrunner from the beginning.
